A life of conversion. One prayer at a time.

Stretching Dreams and Seeing Reality Part 2

As promised in Part 1 of this short dream series, here is the second dream I had on September 4th of this year. This is the one I shared with Anna Elissa over at The Runaway Doctor.

I was on a business trip (I don’t usually travel for business) and the people I was with insisted that we attend religious services. I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure it would be a Catholic mass we would be attending. It’s not that I would have a problem attending another denomination’s services, but I just didn’t feel right about it in this dream.

As we were walking up the steps I couldn’t make out the signage because the sun was blinding my vision. It’s a recurring theme in my dreams that the sunlight blinds what I can see, quite randomly. It looked like Greek lettering but I can’t be sure. It was definitely not English, and definitely not Spanish. I am sure they were symbols of some sort. In any case, the two people presiding began to speak – the services took place outside on the steps – and there was a crowd around them. As soon as the celebrants (if you can call them that) voices began to soften, the crowd said something like “what they speak is right because it suits each of us as we like”. Then their teeth grew very long and they began to eat each other alive – but with no pain.

As I try to recount this dream for you, all I can think of is an ouroboros. Do you know what that is, dear reader? According to Wikipedia:

The Ouroboros symbol appears in both 14th–15th century Albigensian printing watermarks[9] and is also worked into the pip cards of many early (14th–15th century) playing cards, including Tarot cards.

Albigensian. Where have I heard that before? Why, I’ve heard that in conjunction with St. Dominic! Did I ever mention dear readers (I am sure I have not) that a long time ago, I read tarot cards?! I never thought anything of it and didn’t take myself very seriously at all. Knowing what I know now, I shudder to think… back to the Albigensian Heresy.

According to defendingthebride.com the Albigensian Heresy:

…plagued southern France in St. Dominic’s time, the 13th century. It was based on the belief that there were two supreme beings, a good God who created the spirit world, and an evil god who created the material world.

The proponents of this heresy also taught the following:

that the spiritual world is essentially good, and the material world (including the human body) is essentially evil,

that the evil god (Satan) imprisoned spirits in material bodies, so whatever one can do to be released from that prison (including suicide) is good,

that since matter is evil, marriage and the procreation of mankind is evil,

that that Christ was not truly a man, and therefore, neither was Mary truly the Mother of God,

and that the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ were only illusions, and consequently the whole concept of the cross in the Christian life was rejected.

To combat this great evil the Blessed Virgin Mary chose Saint Dominic to spread the Good News of her Son, Jesus Christ, by his preaching and by promoting the Rosary. The combining of the Hail Mary, as it existed then, with the reflection on the mysteries of our salvation, brought about the prayer called the Rosary. Mary worked through Saint Dominic and the Rosary to rescue her children from the powers of Satan and into the abundant life found in Christ our Savior.

What do you make of this dream? Head over to The Runaway Doctor to read her interpretation. I find all of this very fascinating now that I have actually researched the symbols as I write this for you. I will definitely be reflecting upon these findings in the days to come.

St. Dominic, pray for us! Mary Mother of God, pray for us!

St. Dominic receiving the Rosary from the Virgin Mary by Caravaggio, 17th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You think? I didn’t know all of the connections until I actually started writing the post. As I tried to think of an image that would describe the eating part, I thought of the ouroboros which led me to the Albigensian heresey and then, of course, St. Dominic!

Hello, my name is Cristina. I am a working mother, wife and Catholic convert living an unequally yoked marriage. I am also a writer and social media addict. Sound like I have my hands full? They are, so it helps that I make the best faith cocktails around: equal parts faith, humor and charity. Stick around, I may just surprise ya.